Based on interviews with both male and female parliamentarians, women in non-governmental organizations and rural residents of Uganda, this book explores how women's participation in Ugandan politics has unfolded and what the impact has been for sex equality.

In the late 1980s, President Yoweri Museveni announced his belief that Ugandas successful development depended on increased gender equity and backed his opinions by setting several women-centered policies in motion, including a 1989 rule that at least 39 seats in the Ugandan parliament be reserved for women.In this fascinating study, based on in-depth interviews with both male and female parliamentarians, women in nongovernmental organizations, and rural residents of Uganda, Sylvia Tamale explores how womens participation in Ugandan politics has unfolded and what the impact has been for gender equity. The book examines how women have adapted their legislative strategies for empowerment in light of Ugandas patriarchal history and social structure. The author also looks at the consequences and implications of womens parliamentary participation as a result of affirmative action handed down by the president, rather than pushed up from a grassroots movement. Although focusing on Uganda, Tamales study is relevant to other African and non-African countries grappling with the twin challenges of democracy and development. }

Introduction
Profiles of Five Political Women
Gender and the Politics of Parliamentary Representation
Women in the Parliamentary Electoral Process
The Gender Dynamics of Intraparliamentary Politics
Womens Legislative Activities Inside Parliament: Trends and Directions
Into the Trenches: Women Legislators and Their Constituents
Media-ted Portrayals of Women Politicians
Conclusion.